Traveling With Young Kids

Travelling with children can be somewhat like shooting a herd of wild goats in your vacation. Whether they're your own or somebody else's, factoring a kid 's needs to your travels involves a lot more than sticking on a CD filled with pop music and making toilet stops. Here two Rough Guides writers share their hard wisdom. First up, mum of two Hayley Spurway offers guidance on traveling with toddlers, subsequently Ross McGovern reveals the way he manages to travel with older kids. Hayley Spurway's hints for travelling with toddlers

Don't forget the medicine

Whether they're out of routine, jet-lagged, or eating less healthily, children always appear to get sick on vacation. Dampen the effect of broken feet, frayed temperaments and fevers by packaging an easy-to-swallow medicine like Calpol in the UK. Other basic ingredients on your first aid kit should include antiseptic wipes, plasters, sting treatment, and a thermometer.

Be app-y

Thanks to toddler-friendly programs, there's no need to cram a toy box into your hand luggage when travelling by airplane. By all means have a novel and a magical scribbler (crayons just get lost down the aspect of seats), but the most compact form of entertainment is a device loaded with programs and games.

Remember the baby wipes

Even if all your kids are long out of nappies, don't forget that the baby wipes. They're useful for washing machine, cleaning toilet chairs, and wiping down restaurant tables. In precisely the same spirit, little bottles of hand cleanser can be a lifesaver in a few nations, but check the journey regulations for fluids well in advance.

Use public transport

Many toddlers love the novelty of travelling by train, bus and boat, so ditch the hire car and use public transport where possible. In Switzerland, my two-year-old would repeat the titles of the subway stops as they had been announced - provoking ripples of laughter and making him much more enthused about dressing the train every day.